China's Bad Diplomacy

International order resists any nation becoming too aggressive. By its ambitious moves, China has marginalized itself among neighbors. Attempts to claim the entire South China Sea have more or less driven “a de facto anti-China coalition backed discreetly by the United States,” write former US State and Defense Department officials, James Clad and Robert A. Manning, for The National Interest. Concern extends throughout Asia, with even the Philippines suggesting that it would not mind former nemesis, Japan, abandoning its pacifist constitution. The rhetoric over territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea is contributing to intense nationalism, shaking the confidence that diplomacy can prevent confrontation with China. Yet the conflict is puzzling. “Perhaps Beijing is more an irredentist than a revisionist power, primarily seeking redemption from previous indignities and humiliation,” Clad and Manning note. “After all, no nation benefited more from the system of globalization over the past three decades than China.” – YaleGlobal

China's Bad Diplomacy

With aggressive moves and territorial claims, China contains itself and drives regional neighbors into partnerships with the US for balance

James Clad was US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia Pacific Affairs from 2007-09. Robert A. Manning is senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and served on the State Dept. Policy Planning Staff (2004-08).

Comments on this Article

Is it not possible to imagine Communist China is really a peaceful country on the ascendency towards a great superpower. In yesteryear USSR was put down by cheers ,"Russians are coming, coming " kind of thing. Now it is Chinese's turn. What some see behind this smooth propaganda is jealousy, loss of commercial profits, competition, inability on the accept others as equals.c
Is there a better explanation.